Her mother contacted KCCI with video she said proves her daughter was acting in self-defense.

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Limanda Johnson said her daughter, Zana Johnson, has been in fights before but nothing this bad.

"It was never weapons. It was just girl fights," said Johnson.

The fights caught on a cellphone camera one night last week were brutal. A group of 6 to 8 young women yell as Zana, seen in the video in a white tank top, repeatedly punches another young woman.

There are conflicting stories about why the girls were there. Zana's mother says the girls were after Zana and she was defending herself. Another story was they had gathered with Zana to fight for fun.

The fighting escalates when it appears an unidentified girl is digging around in the dirt for a rock to use as a weapon.

You then see on the video Zana reaching into a purse for the box cutter. Miranda Torres, who was not part of the fighting but joined the crowd late, is seen jumping Zana from behind.

Miranda said she'd had words with Zana earlier in the evening. She said she dropped her kids off at her mother's house up the street and came back to give Zana a piece of her mind. Miranda said Zana saw her enter the crowd and went for something in her purse. So she jumped Zana hoping to stop her from retrieving a weapon.

Zana's mother said she has talked to her daughter, who said she was getting the weapon out because she was afraid, and didn't see Miranda at all.

"She was like, 'Mom, I never even had the blade up. And when she hit me from behind I just turned to her and started fighting her,'" said Limanda Johnson.

Miranda has shallow cuts on her face, arms and back.

Zana's mother said using the box cutter was self-defense and her daughter is on the run because she is scared.

At the end of the video you can see Zana flee into a store at the corner of 21st Street and Forest Avenue. The crowd runs after her.

Limanda said her daughter does plan to turn herself in.

Zana Johnson has two warrants for her arrest: One for the box cutter stabbing -- a charge of assault with a dangerous weapons. The second is for failing to appear the next day in court on another matter. She is charged with carrying weapons, theft and two counts of burglary in that case.